Muckraker: Ida B. Wells
Works Published:
- Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases (1892)
- The Red Record: Tabulated Statistics and Alleged Causes of Lynching in the United States (1895)
- Various articles in newspapers such as the Memphis Free Speech and Chicago Defender
Subjects Exposed:
- The brutal practice of lynching in the United States, particularly in the South.
- The false narratives around the justifications for lynching, which often claimed that Black men were lynched for assaulting white women.
- The systemic racism, violence, and injustices faced by Black Americans.
Result:
- Wells’ journalism brought national and international attention to the issue of lynching, challenging the widespread societal acceptance and normalization of the practice.
- She founded various anti-lynching organizations and played a significant role in the formation of the NAACP.
Aftermath, Outcome, Effect:
- Her work contributed to the beginning of the anti-lynching movement in the U.S. and increased awareness about racial violence and injustice.
- Although lynching continued for decades, Wells' activism and writings laid the groundwork for future civil rights work and informed subsequent generations about the importance of addressing racial injustice.
- In 2020, Congress awarded her a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal for her contributions to civil rights, highlighting her lasting legacy in American history.
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